Growth mindset focusing on self-improvement for Athletes, Parents and Coaches

No, YOU Hang Up

My friends know how much I fancy a dorky selfie. They also can’t take me anywhere.

Texting and cell phones have ruined phone conversations.

I remember back in the stone ages, before cell phones, I used to love talking on the phone. I was one of the rare ones who did.

Find me an old rotary dial phone and I will still hold down the line for at least a half hour.

Yeah, maybe I’d get interrupted by call waiting, but after I clicked back over the conversation would pick up right back where we left off.

When it came time to hang up because of homework or parents lingering in the doorway, we’d say our goodbyes and then wait for one person to hang up. Sometimes they would wait for you to hang up first, but you really wanted to hang up first so you’d say “you hang up first.”

Then a small battle would ensue “no, you hang up”

“No, YOU hang up.”

That may go back and forth and then someone would say “okay, on the count of three, we both hang up.”

And then we’d count to three and still no one would hang up.

Stalling was a reminder of how much you enjoyed talking to that person and you didn’t want the conversation to end.

I adore that my friends are my biggest fans and vice versa.

They really and truly are.

They support my writing. But even if I didn’t type or write one single word, they would still be my friends. They support what I do, but they also support who I am.

It’s a two way street. I support them in their endeavors too. I actually would love to see them succeed more than I would like to see myself succeed – not in a sick way, but in a proud “you did it, that’s rad” kind of way. It makes me so happy to see one of them doing something they love and having a blast doing it. It makes me even more happy when I can see that they are completely and fully functioning in their area giftedness.

This week has been a blast writing with a community of people whom I know and some who are complete strangers. I have a new respect for those of you who have to produce content every day no matter what. I am one who likes things to marinate a bit, so finding things to write about daily was a challenge.

My brain started to hurt on Day 4.

That showed up on Day 6.

But friends and fellow writers were there to keep the fire lit and to keep the keyboard tap-tapping. Seeing them produce work inspired me to produce work.

We encouraged each other.

It’s like those early phone conversations that you don’t want to end.

“No, YOU hang up.”

“No…YOU hang up.”

But after the line finally clicks, you think “that really was a great conversation.”